Florida Condo HOA Maintenance Responsibilities: Who Maintains and Pays for Exterior Surfaces?

Florida condo HOA maintenance responsibilities depend on the type of community, the property documents and the surface involved. In a condominium, the association maintains common elements unless the declaration assigns maintenance of a limited common element to an owner. In an HOA, the governing documents determine which shared property the association maintains and which exterior duties belong to homeowners.

Florida condo and HOA maintenance responsibilities under different statutes

Condominiums and homeowners associations follow different Florida statutes, so a board should identify its form of ownership before assigning exterior work. Chapter 718 sets the condominium common element rule; Chapter 720 addresses HOA budgets and operations but does not turn every visible exterior surface into association property.

Under section 718.113(1), the condo association maintains common elements except for limited common element maintenance assigned to unit owners by the declaration. Who pays for a limited common element the association maintains depends on the declaration's cost clause, so read it separately from the maintenance clause. The party arranging the work and the party paying for it can therefore differ.

For an HOA, start with the recorded covenants, plats and association maintenance provisions. A rule requiring an owner to clean a roof or driveway does not, by itself, mean the association must hire the contractor or fund the work. The distinction between a cleaning standard and a maintenance duty matters when the board writes notices and budgets.

Who pays for this exterior surface?

Identify the surface in the recorded documents, then read the clause assigning maintenance and the clause allocating its cost. Do not decide from appearance or exclusive use alone: a balcony can be a limited common element that the association maintains, while its expense is allocated under the declaration.

Balcony questions deserve a closer reading. A declaration may treat the walking surface, railing, waterproofing and structure differently. A board planning a building-wide wash should mark those boundaries before asking for bids, even if one contractor can reach every surface in a single visit.

For HOAs with individual homes, use the same document-first approach, then distinguish an association-owned common area from an owner-maintained parcel. Our related guide explains when an HOA can require roof or driveway cleaning in Florida. If the documents are unclear or different clauses conflict, have association counsel interpret them before charging an owner for work.

What section 718.113 means for condo exterior work

Section 718.113(1) makes common element maintenance the condo association's responsibility, subject to the declaration's assignment of limited common element duties.

That rule gives a board a practical starting point for facade cleaning, common walkways and shared exterior areas. It does not prescribe a pressure washing schedule or make cleaning the answer to damaged finishes. If paint is peeling, sealant has failed or water is entering a wall, the board should document the condition and determine whether repair is needed before washing hides evidence or worsens the surface.

The declaration can place maintenance of a limited common element with its users or with the association. Where the association performs it at the expense of only those users, section 718.113 requires the declaration to describe how those costs are apportioned. This is why a balcony cleaning line in a contractor proposal should not automatically become a general common expense.

Keep the work order aligned with that decision. Name the surfaces, access points, cleaning method, exclusions and any owner preparation needed. A clear scope helps the manager compare proposals and gives the board a record of why an area was included or left for owner action.

What the statutes say about maintenance and reserves

Section 718.113 assigns condo common element maintenance; section 720.303 addresses HOA budgets and reserves. Neither section says that routine exterior cleaning is a structural inspection, and neither makes every limited common element an owner's automatic cleaning obligation.

Section 720.303(6) requires an HOA annual budget and permits reserve accounts for capital expenditures and deferred maintenance for which the association is responsible. Its financial report disclosure depends on how reserves are established and funded. Where reserves are not fully funded, the statute requires the budget to carry the notice that this "MAY RESULT IN SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS"; read the full section with the association's own documents.

The condo rules are different. Under section 718.112, associations required to obtain a structural integrity reserve study, or SIRS, generally cannot waive or reduce reserves for SIRS items in budgets adopted on or after December 31, 2024. HB 913 added a limited option: for a budget adopted on or before December 31, 2028, an eligible board may, with approval from a majority of all voting interests, pause or reduce contributions for up to two consecutive annual budgets to fund repairs recommended by a milestone inspection completed in the previous two calendar years. The statutory conditions matter; this is not a general reserve waiver.

HB 913 changed condominium inspection and reserve provisions, not Chapter 720 HOA budgeting in 2025 or 2026. Boards managing both types of community should use separate checklists. Moving a condo SIRS requirement into an HOA budget discussion can create an inaccurate funding plan.

How milestone inspections and SIRS affect exterior planning

A milestone inspection assesses the structural condition of a qualifying condo or cooperative building, while a SIRS studies specified components and their reserve funding. Exterior cleaning may help a board observe surfaces, but a cleaning crew's observations do not perform or replace either statutory process.

Under section 553.899, a building with three or more habitable stories that is wholly or partly under residential condo or cooperative ownership generally needs its first milestone inspection by December 31 of the year it reaches 30 years of age, then every 10 years. A local enforcement agency may require the first inspection at 25 years based on local circumstances, including proximity to salt water. There is no automatic rule triggered by being within three miles of the coast.

Section 718.112 generally requires a SIRS every 10 years for each residential condo building with three or more habitable stories. Its listed components include the roof, structure, fireproofing and fire protection, plumbing, electrical systems, waterproofing and exterior painting, and windows and exterior doors. Another item can qualify if its cost exceeds the applicable $25,000 inflation-adjusted threshold and its failure affects a listed component. Routine washing is not itself a listed component.

HB 913 allows a qualifying milestone inspection completed in the past five years to replace the visual inspection portion of a SIRS. It also permits a SIRS delay of up to two consecutive budget years immediately after a milestone inspection under the statute's conditions. For associations covered by the initial SIRS deadline, the statute set December 31, 2025, with a limited opportunity to complete it alongside a milestone inspection due by December 31, 2026. Boards should confirm their actual deadline and records rather than assume every property received the extension.

A board can use those reports to prioritize repairs before scheduling a wash. If an inspector calls for facade, waterproofing or window work, coordinate cleaning with that work so the contractor does not disturb a repair area. The guide to milestone inspections, SIRS and exterior cleaning covers that planning connection in more detail.

Choosing a method for exterior cleaning for HOAs

Choose a cleaning method from the surface material, its condition and the result needed. Stronger pressure is useful on suitable hard surfaces, but it is a poor default for painted finishes, delicate cladding, seals and many roof materials.

For walls with coatings or vulnerable joints, a lower-pressure method can reduce mechanical stress. The trade-off is that the contractor must choose and manage cleaning solutions carefully, protect nearby materials and allow the process to work. For concrete walks and other sound hardscape, pressure washing may be appropriate after checking loose material, drainage and pedestrian access.

Roofs require their own decision. The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association warns that high-pressure washing is likely to damage asphalt shingles and recommends a chemical treatment with a gentle rinse for algae discoloration. Do not apply a method selected for a driveway to a roof. Review the roof material and manufacturer guidance before approving the scope; 2Clean's stated approach excludes pressure washing of roofs.

For a mixed condo site, ask for the proposal to separate facade, roof, balconies, glass and hardscape. That makes method choices visible and helps the board allocate costs where its documents require it. Our overview of exterior building maintenance responsibilities provides a broader surface-by-surface planning framework.

Turning responsibility into a usable maintenance plan

A useful HOA exterior maintenance plan connects each surface to a responsible party, a condition check and an approved scope. The board can then budget recurring cleaning, flag repair needs and avoid telling an owner to arrange work that belongs to the association.

Start with a property map and the declaration or covenants. Record the document clause beside each surface rather than using a single label for the entire building. Note who approves access, who contracts for work and where the expense belongs. If those answers differ, make the distinction clear in the board record and contractor instructions.

During inspections, record staining, loose finishes, blocked drainage and areas where washing should wait for repair review. Photos taken from consistent viewpoints help the board compare condition over time without treating every dark mark as damage. Keep cleaning observations separate from any engineer's or architect's findings.

Before work begins, define how residents and pedestrians will use entrances and walks, how adjacent finishes and landscaping will be protected, and where wash water will go. Ask the contractor for a surface-specific method and a clear description of what will not come out. Boards comparing vendors can use the exterior contractor insurance checklist alongside the technical scope.

Afterward, retain the approved proposal, notices, completion notes and photographs with the association's maintenance records. Those documents support the next budget and help distinguish a cleaning concern from a recurring defect that needs professional evaluation.

Frequently asked questions

Is a condo association the same as a HOA?

No. A Florida condominium association operates under Chapter 718, while a homeowners association generally operates under Chapter 720. Their governing documents also describe different kinds of property interests. For exterior work, the condo board starts with common and limited common elements; an HOA board starts with the covenants and the property the association is assigned to maintain.

What is the new law in Florida for HOA?

The major 2025 change discussed in condo maintenance planning is HB 913, which revised condominium milestone inspection and SIRS provisions. It did not make the condo SIRS rules apply to Chapter 720 HOAs. There was no substantive 2025 or 2026 change to the HOA budget and reserve provisions in section 720.303. One 2026 change does apply to HOAs: under section 720.3035(1)(c) (ch. 2026-63), an HOA may not require a building permit as a prerequisite for architectural review. One 2026 change does apply to HOAs: under section 720.3035(1)(c) (ch. 2026-63), an HOA may not require a building permit as a prerequisite for architectural review, so boards should continue reading that section with their governing documents.

Do condos have a maintenance team?

Some associations use employees, a property manager or outside contractors; the statute does not require a particular staffing model for routine exterior cleaning. What matters is that the association arranges maintenance of the condo property assigned to it. The board should define the scope, supervise vendor work and keep records, regardless of who performs the cleaning.

Who maintains a Florida condo balcony?

The answer depends on how the declaration classifies the balcony and assigns maintenance. A balcony may be a limited common element, but exclusive use does not automatically make every component or expense the owner's responsibility. Check provisions for the walking surface, railing, waterproofing and structure, then identify separately who performs the work and who pays.

Can an HOA require an owner to clean a roof or driveway?

An HOA may enforce an exterior maintenance standard if its governing documents give it that authority and the requirement applies to the owner's property. The board should cite the relevant provision and describe the condition to be corrected. It should not prescribe a damaging method: roof material, surface condition and manufacturer guidance should shape the cleaning approach.

Sources

For a scope that separates shared surfaces, owner-assigned areas and appropriate cleaning methods, review 2Clean's commercial and HOA exterior services.